Bhubaneswar: Directorate of Agriculture & Food Production (DA&FW) under Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment signed an MoU with Department of Mission Shakti and ACCESS Development Services at the Convention Hall of Lok Seva Bhawan on Thursday for promotion of Maize Cluster through formation of Mission Shakti Producer Groups (PGs) & Producer Companies (PCs) under Mukhyamantri Maka Mission (MMM).
Under MMM, 10 Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) in the Maize growing areas of south western Odisha will be supported to replicate the MANDI (Mainstreaming Agri-producers through Network and Development Initiatives) Project model. The project is planned to be implemented through DA&FW wherein Mission Shakti will provide convergence support for five new women only PCs and balance five would be selected through the PCs registered under the State FPO Portal.
Small and marginal women farmers who are members of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and engaged in maize cultivation will be mobilized into PCs & PGs. At least 5,000 women SHG members and maize farming families will benefit from this pilot project, assuming 1,000 women farmers per PC.
The five new PCs will comprise of women SHG members of Udaigiri and Mohana blocks in Gajapati, Kundra block in Koraput, Jharigaon block in Nabarangpur and Komna block in Nuapada. Mission Shakti shall provide support to the PCs under existing guidelines. The remaining five PCs will be selected from PCs registered under State FPO Portal in districts of Koraput, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Nuapada and Gajapati.
The collaboration aims to enable FPCs to establish sustainable business and long-term market linkages, to accelerate the adoption of technology and digitalization among farmers, to promote the sustainability of maize farming operations by granting farmers access to Climate Resilient Agriculture practices, to reduce income risk for farmers by encouraging crop diversification into agriculture and allied activities and to establish a long-term association with catalyzing market forces, such as Agritech startups and private market players.
